With absolultely nothing inviting to tourists in Colorado City you likely will drive out only a few minutes after arriving. Colorado City is about a 40 minute drive to Pipe Stem National Monument. Pipe Stem is also of Mormon signifcance and far more inviting to visitors.

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With absolultely nothing inviting to tourists in Colorado City you likely will drive out only a few minutes after arriving. Colorado City is about a 30 minute drive to Pipe Spring National Monument. Pipe Spring is also of Mormon signifcance and far is more inviting to visitors.

==Stay safe==

==Stay safe==

Revision as of 18:58, 4 August 2006

Colorado City is a city in Arizona just south of the Utah state line. Colarado City is the largest and best known polygamist community in the United States. The city has no facilities for travelers and many residents are distrustful of or even hostile toward outsiders.

Contents

Understand

Mormon pioneers first settled in Utah and neighboring states in 1848 to avoid persecution and to live their faith, which included a belief in polygamy. In 1890, amidst heavy pressure from the United States Government, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints renounced polygamy and to this day continues to forswear the practice.

Some Mormons, however, never accepted the church doctrine and Federal law that forbid polygamy. They continued to practice "plural marriage". As their viewpoints were no longer accepted by the mainstream Church, they founded splinter groups such as the "Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" (FLDS) and usually lived in remote communities, keeping mostly to themselves.

Colorado City is one such community. Virtually all land in the community is owned by the United Effort Plan, a FLDS corporation. Local government, including the police and public school, is run by church members. While Colorado City has survived an infamous anti-polygamy raid in 1953 as well as the death of its founder, its future remains uncertain. Detractors, including those formerly associated with the Fundamentalist community, say the church leader exercises extreme control over its members and on his orders may re-assign wives or banish men. A State investigation has begun over allegations that some underage women were taken as brides in the community and that the local police worked to squelch any investigation about the practice. Community members are also embroiled in a property tax dispute as well as disputes over attempts to evict dissenting residents.

An unusual and uninviting place for tourists to go, Colorado City might nonetheless be a worthwhile stop for those undertaking a Mormon history tour, or for anyone who wants to see the results of a community that has struggled for years to isolate itself and maintain its own traditions.

Get in

Colorado City is one of the most remote communities in the lower 48 states, both in terms of distance to other cities and in terms of seperation from mainstream American culture. But it is located right along Utah State Route 59/Arizone State 389 and easily reached from Hurricane, Utah.

A tiny municipal airport is adjacent to the city. No commercial flights serve the airport; in theory private aircraft could in.

Get around

You can drive your car around. You could park your car by the playground and sit or walk.

See

You will see a great number of large, unfinished houses in Colorado City. Polygamy obviously leads to large familiy sizes and sometimes exterior improvements are delayed when money is tight. You may also see that local residents dress modestly, often wearing hand sewn clothes.

Do

Unless you are a Fundamentalist LDS church member, there is little more to do here other than to drive by and look at this unusual community and its residents. There is a small playground within the town.

Buy

There are no stores in Colorado City and absolutely nothing to buy.

Eat

Colarado City has no restaurants.

Drink

Colorado City has no bars, and FLDS church members do not drink alcohol.

Sleep

There are no hotels. Unless you are the invited guest of a local resident do not even think about sleeping or camping here.

Get out

With absolultely nothing inviting to tourists in Colorado City you likely will drive out only a few minutes after arriving. Colorado City is about a 30 minute drive to Pipe Spring National Monument. Pipe Spring is also of Mormon signifcance and far is more inviting to visitors.

Stay safe

FLDS members generally feel that their religion and lifestyle has been misunderstood by outsiders. They have gone to great lengths to practice their religion without outside interference and despite occasional persecution and are often distrustful of outsiders.

Therefore many local residents will not want to speak or interact with you. If you are asked to leave, do so. Virtually all real estate in the town is private church owned property. Local police include adherants of the FLDS religion and may arrest those who they feel are disturbing the peace or trespassing.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!